Cats of Italy

We have grown very fond of the members of our local cat colony. To the point that we have named them (don't judge us :) ). They live on a farm about five minutes bike ride away from our house and are owned by a lovely Italian gentleman, who can be seen in the winter months around 8:30 am walking carefully from his house to the barn with a steaming pan of warm food for his cat family. On warmer days he often sits on one of the plastic chairs you can see in the background with the cats around him. One in particular the siamese - we have affectionately named her Mezee  - phonetical ending of siamese ('Mese' with an extra e) and Whitey stay close by him. When you pass by they will all come to see you. Here they come. 

The farmhouse is one of a handful which line the main walking route in our neighborhood. The walkway itself is quite incredible, a beautiful purposely built raised path which winds through the farmer's fields, following the path of river. Because it is raised, it serves as a natural flood barrier, protecting the buildings to the far side, including the barn where the cats live. The flood water in the photos below are usually fields except in the fall and winter, when too much rain causes the river bank to break and the frozen ground acts like the bottom of a swimming pool causing. the water to rise up the steep banks of the walkway. 

The lovely gentleman happily shares the cats with the walkers who pass by everyday. He greets us as 'regulars'.  In his very wonderful Italian way -  as though he has known us all our lives. He asks how we are and sends "auguri a casa" - 'regards at home' if one of us is not there.  Even from the start the language gap did not stop a conversation. People of all types come and spend time with the cats, feed them, sit with them, take photos of them. I have to admit I never pass without some cat food in my pocket and obviously - I take photos. 

Meet Elizabetha - she has to be the colony's most adorable visitors. But she is certainly not the only person to visit.

Just before our first lockdown in March 2020 the walkway was closed, as the region tried to stop people gathering. The walkway is popular especially at the weekend, people walk in groups, with friends or bike together, it was an obvious target. I remember of all the restrictions we had in 2020, being especially sad that we would be unable to walk on the walkway and see the cats. They are such a social bunch, they no doubt wondered where everyone was. It must have suddenly seemed very quiet all of a sudden.

The next time we got to be on the walkway was May 18th 2020 when restrictions lifted after 2 months, 1 week and 2 days, of simply remaining completely at home. At home for us in Italy meant only leaving the house for groceries, the pharmacy or other medical reasons - no walks or exercise exceptions- you simply stayed at home.  If you owned a dog you could walk your dog 200m from your house. Fines were implemented and it was real.

On our first walk, we were delighted to see all the characters and that there were two new kittens, little Tort completing the three generations of the Tortoiseshells and Ginge a beautiful ginger kitten. The cats were very glad to see us and I was over the moon knowing both they and their owner were well.

Now do I have a favorite? I do. Is it sweet Tortie who purrs and would prefer strokes over food? Mezee with her beautiful blue eyes, who will crawl on your lap and true to the regal siamese in her -  she - prefers to eat from your hand than off the floor? 

Or is it Billy? The Tom cat who comes occasionally with battle scars as he has to protect his girls and is always happy to see you, ready for a stroke and purr? I do love Billy.

But no, actually my favorite we named Uncle. Uncle is always the last to come. He is shy and stays in the barn until he is sure it is safe. When the kittens were small, he would stay with them safe in the barn even when the rest of the colony had come to feed, including the kitten's mother. 

As you can see he is cautious and shy but since we first found the colony in 2019 there have been three generations of kittens which he has watched over.  I have never managed to stroke him but now he will come up with the rest if it is quiet and there are not any kittens in need of an Uncle to stay with them in the barn.   

Our local colony, is by far means not the only cat colony. There are hundreds maybe thousands of cat families being fed and enjoyed all over Italy. They are free to roam and become community celebrities . The dogs are left behind fences, employed as security or companions, while the cats roam free, shared among people like the bikes of Amsterdam which travel all over the city, but somehow return to the original locations (usually in Amsterdam the train station) eventually. Cats are free to roam, they choose to return to be fed and looked after by the lovely cat people of Italy, who deserve a charming category of their own.